1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to truck bed extenders, and, more particularly, to a truck bed extender that is attached to a truck tailgate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that truck beds, such as pickup truck beds, are often too short for all the cargo that a user desires to transport by the truck. From this problem, throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to extending truck beds to increase their cargo carrying capacity, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,997,066, 6,116,676, 6,343,826, and 6,631,938. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,066 discloses a number of fence units that fit onto a lowered tailgate and form an enclosure with the tailgate as the floor of the enclosure. The fence units are separate and distinct from the tailgate. Consequently, when the fence units are no longer needed on the tailgate, the fence units must be removed from the tailgate and placed in storage. Rather than have separate fence portions separate and distinct from a tailgate, it would be desirable if a tailgate unit that included foldable fence units that can be folded into the tailgate unit for storage when the fence units are no longer needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,676 discloses a folding tailgate seat. That is, the seats are located on the lowered tailgate. When the tailgate is lowered, items on the truck bed may roll out from the truck bed, past the lowered tailgate, and onto the road. In this respect, it would be desirable if a truck bed extender were provided which permits the tailgate to remain in the raised condition when the tailgate extender is in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,826 discloses a truck bed extender which fits into side walls of a truck bed. The truck bed extender fits onto of a raised tailgate. The floor of the truck bed extender is not coplanar with the truck bed. For most cargo hauling purposes, it would be desirable if the floor of a truck bed extender were coplanar with the truck bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,938 discloses a retractable tailgate bench. The tailgate bench is hinged to the top of the tailgate. When the bench portion is deployed, the plane of the bench surface is in a position that is lower than the plane of the truck bed. Moreover, then the tailgate bench is in the lowered position, the tailgate must be in a lowered position. More specifically, the tailgate bench cannot be used when the tailgate is in the raised position. As stated above, it would be desirable if a truck bed extender were provided such that it can be used with the tailgate in a raised position and such that the truck bed extender is coplanar with the truck bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,556 may be of interest for its disclosure of a vehicle rear door tie down kit.
Still other features would be desirable in a tailgate-attached cargo support apparatus. For example, it would be desirable if a truck bed extender can be folded into and stored in a tailgate. That is, when the truck bed extender is stored in the tailgate unit, the truck bed extender is hidden from view and is integrated into the tailgate.
Another desirable feature of a tailgate-attached cargo support apparatus is the provision of means for orienting a lowered tailgate unit in an orientation that is coplanar with the truck bed.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use a truck bed extender, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a tailgate-attached cargo support apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides a tailgate unit that includes foldable fence units that can be folded into the tailgate unit for storage when the fence units are no longer needed; (2) permits the tailgate to remain in the raised condition when the tailgate extender is in use; (3) provides that the floor of a truck bed extender is coplanar with the truck bed; (4) when the truck bed extender is stored in the tailgate unit, the truck bed extender is hidden from view and is integrated into the tailgate; and (5) provides means for orienting a lowered tailgate unit in an orientation that is coplanar with the truck bed. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique tailgate-attached cargo support apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.